Hernandez's girlfriend, cousin indicted in relation to murder

Three alleged associates of former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez have been indicted in connection with the murder of Odin Lloyd.

Bristol County, Mass., District Attorney Sam Sutter announced Friday that a grand jury has indicted Tanya Singleton, Hernandez's cousin, on a single count of conspiracy to commit accessory after the fact. Singleton previously was indicted last month on a charge of criminal contempt.

The grand jury also voted to indict Shayana Jenkins, Hernandez's girlfriend and the mother of his daughter, on a single charge of perjury. Jenkins' sister had been dating Lloyd.

Another alleged associate, Carlos Ortiz, was indicted on a single count of accessory to murder-after the fact in the killing of Lloyd.

Carlos Ortiz, an alleged associate of former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez, has been indicted in connection with the murder of Odin Lloyd.
(Courtesy of Connecticut Department of Correction/)

Lloyd, a 27-year-old Boston semi-professional football player, was found shot to death on June 17 in an industrial park in North Attleborough, Mass. Hernandez, 23, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and weapons charges in Lloyd's death and is being held without bail at a county jail.

Ortiz, 27, has been a key witness in the prosecution of Hernandez and his associate Ernest Wallace, who pleaded not guilty last week on a charge of being an accessory to murder in the killing of Lloyd.

Ortiz previously had told authorities that both Hernandez and Wallace got out of a car along with Lloyd at the industrial park before he heard shots ring out.

In a bail hearing for Wallace on Thursday, prosecutors revealed that Ortiz has changed his story about the night of the killing, now saying he doesn't believe Wallace got out of the car.

The district court pretrial hearing against Ortiz on gun charges that was scheduled for Friday has been postponed.

Fall River Superior Court arraignment dates have yet to be set for any of the defendants.

Singleton is due in Fall River Superior Court on Monday for a status hearing on her pending contempt charge, and it is possible she also could be arraigned on the new indictment at that time.